Reviews
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Written by Rose Lagercrantz and illustrated by Eva Eriksson; Translated by Julia Marshall
A stand-alone follow-up to the acclaimed and beloved chapter books that began with New York Times Notable Book My Happy Life. This is the fifth in the My Happy Life series.
Dani is going on a school trip to the zoo, and the teacher tells the children how to stay safe and not get lost. But Dani gets separated from the others. Suddenly another class is rushing up to the path—and at the back of the noisy crowd is someone she recognizes: Ella! The good friends are so happy to be together again, and Ella wants to play. What should Dani do? Follow her best friend in the world or do as the teacher said? The first, of course!
A chapter book recommended for ages 6 - 8 years.
Hardcover, 152 pages. 21 x 15 cm (8.3 x 5.8 inches).
Gecko Press, 2017.
★ "Separated from the rest of her class during a field trip to a Stockholm zoo, Dani is thrilled to find her beloved friend Ella, whose distant school is also visiting the zoo. After spending a mostly happy time together, both return to their own schools. At home that evening, dinner is an uncomfortable occasion. Dani hasn't had time to process having her father home from the hospital before he asks Sadie, his nurse and girlfriend, to join them.
With the support of extended family and friends, Dani works through a series of concerns about her father and her best friend before finding her balance again. Providing a synopsis of this book doesn't convey the pleasure of reading it or viewing its lively, expressive ink drawings. Each action, comment, facial expression, character flaw, or emotion is simple on its own, but it becomes part of an emotionally nuanced, richly interconnected narrative. Best appreciated by readers of the previous four Dani books, this one delivers the warmth and human interest that characterize the series." ~ Booklist Website
